Weapon and Meister
by hopelessswriter
Summary: Tsugumi and Anya thought they knew what the bond between a weapon and meister means. But when they go on an EAT mission with Tsugumi's idol, Maka, and her weapon Soul, they realize that they have a long way to go. SoMa if you want.
1. Chapter 1

Tsugumi shifted her duffel bag to her other shoulder, somewhat easing the ache on her back. She could hear her meister's foot tapping on the cobblestones. Anya's long blonde hair hung in a braid down her back, the tip resting below the waistband of her jeans. She was wearing a much fancier outfit than Tsugumi's simple grey tank top and jeans, but it was expected of a former princess. Anya's flowy crop top had a flowery pattern on it and must have cost more than Tsugumi's entire closet. _'At least she wore flats instead of heels,'_ Tsugumi thought. At least she could run in those.

"You'd think such a high-ranking EAT pair would have the decency to be on time!" Anya huffed and crossed her arms, her clear voice ringing throughout the courtyard. They had been waiting for over an hour at the base of the DWMA steps for the EAT pair that would take them on a remedial lesson. Tsugumi had begun to feel a bit impatient as well, but she focused on Anya for the moment. "Anya, these are well-respected and powerful—"

A sleek black motorcycle slid into the courtyard, its loud engine drowning out Tsugumi. Both girls watched as the riders, a boy and a girl, hopped off the bike. The girl was significantly smaller than the boy, wearing ripped white jeans and a yellow-and-black letterman jacket three sizes too big. She stomped around to the other side of the bike in black combat boots, her ashy blonde hair tumbling down her back as she tugged off her helmet and tossed it to the boy, who grunted as he caught it.

Tsugumi's face broke out into a smile. "Maka! You're here!" Maka's bright green eyes focused onto Tsugumi before she returned the smile. "Hey! Sorry we're late, somebody," Her eyes darted back to the boy in a quick glare, "overslept."

"Don't blame that on me!" The boy tugged his helmet off and tossed it on the bike, landing perfectly on the handlebar. Tsugumi heard Anya's breath hitch, and spared her a sideways glance. Her blue eyes were wide, and her cheeks were slightly flushed. Tsugumi shrugged before turning back to examine Maka's weapon. His white hair was messy and thick, bangs hanging over a pair of blood red eyes. His black leather jacket and T-shirt were windswept and wrinkled, along with his ripped jeans.

His deep voice was both accusatory and teasing. "I need my beauty sleep! Besides," he shrugged, "I forgot." Tsugumi saw Maka roll her eyes before turning back to her and Anya. "Anyway, like I said, so sorry we're late. It's a good thing we didn't have any travel plans depending on anyone else." With one more glare cast over her shoulder, she jogged off. "I'll be right back with a ride for you two. Soul, introduce yourself!" She turned a corner and was gone.

Tsugumi heard Soul sigh, attracting both girls' attentions. He leaned against his bike and raised his hand in a sort of wave. "Well, I guess you already heard her, but I'm Soul, her weapon partner. And you two are?" Tsugumi blinked at his bluntness, a little stunned. She shook her hand in a little wave, trying not to look as awkward as she felt. "I'm Tsugumi. I'm the weapon." His eyebrow quirked up in a questioning way, and she blushed. "I'm a halberd." Soul nodded, and his gaze slid over to Anya.

Tsugumi gave her meister another side glance, and confusion washed over her. Anya looked almost embarrassed, despite the fact she hadn't said anything at all. Her face had become even more red, and she wasn't looking at Soul. Sensing something she didn't understand, she gestured to Anya. "This is Anya, my meister. Her main area of expertise is with a spear, but she isn't half-bad with an axe." Anya gave her a grateful nod, and Soul was kept from asking anymore questions by the reappearance of Maka. She was guiding a small scooter next to her, two helmets on the seat.

"This is Soul's old bike. You guys can ride it, while I ride with Soul. It's a two hour ride on a motorcycle, but it'll go by quick. We need to get going soon, but first I'll tell you about the mission you've been given." She parked the scooter in front of them, and leaned against Soul's chest when he came to stand behind her. Anya made a noise under her breath, but Tsugumi paid her no attention. "We are going to a small town in the countryside to hunt down and take the soul of a wild pack of Kishin. Today we are going to do some intel-gathering, and tomorrow night we will corner them and take their souls." Maka met both of their eyes, her green eyes hard. "I really shouldn't, but I can't help but ask: Are you guys sure you can go through with this? I remember the first time I took down a Kishin, and—" Maka shivered, and turned away. "Never mind. Let's go. Soul?"

Maka's weapon didn't spare them another glance as they all climbed onto their respective bikes. "Oh, and one more thing," Both girls turned to look at the younger meister, who had a small smile on her face. "Soul and I are supposed to show you two what a true weapon and meister pair looks like!" Soul threw his head back and laughed at their confused stares before speeding off. Anya revved their bike up with the practiced ease she seemed to have with everything before following Soul and Maka out of the DWMA.


	2. Chapter 2

Just as Maka had promised, it took nearly two hours to get to the little town they were staying at. They all parked in an alley a block away from their lodging, a tiny, quaint house available for rent among fifty of the same houses. Maka ran up the porch and stuck the key in, a big grin on her face. "This reminds me of that time we were in the Philippines and we had to stay in that shack on the beach. Do you remember that?" Soul's nod cleared Tsugumi's confusion, as she had thought Maka was talking to her.

Leaving them to their conversation, Tsugumi hung back next to Anya. "Hey, are you okay? Ever since they got here you've seemed a little…off." Off was putting it lightly, but Tsugumi didn't want to upset Anya. Her meister's blue eyes held Tsugumi's, and she sighed. "He's…Have you really not noticed? The weapon, Soul, he's gorgeous!" Anya's fierce whisper dragged Tsugumi's eyes to study him. His hair was even messier than it had been, and it now registered with Tsugumi just how tall he was. He towered over all three girls by at least six inches. It made it hard to believe that Tsugumi and Anya were both a year older than him. He held two backpacks, one of which had to be Maka's, and leaned against the wall next to his meister as she talked to him. A small smile tugged at his lips, and it was clear that he was only half-listening to his meister. His blood-red eyes were focused on her, however, an unidentifiable emotion flickering in his irises. Tsugumi couldn't deny that he was attractive, and agreed wholeheartedly with Anya. Suddenly, she realized what had been wrong with Anya.

Tsugumi couldn't help it: she giggled. Anya looked briefly mortified, but soon enough joined her weapon. _'So that's it,'_ Tsugumi thought. ' _Anya likes Soul.'_

With a loud click, the door finally swung open. Anya and Tsugumi quieted and followed Soul inside. The three of them stood in a line and watched Maka check out the little cabin. Tsugumi looked up at Soul, her lips quirking up at his expression. His eyes followed Maka around the room, a tiny smile tugging at his mouth. "Is she always this excited?" Tsugumi asked, trying to get on good terms with the younger weapon. The smile didn't leave Soul's face as he looked down at her. "Pretty much. She loves traveling, and every mission we go on is in a different part of the world. I don't think there's a country she hasn't loved." His eyes clouded over, and he moved his hand to rest over his heart. His fingers clenched the fabric of his shirt tightly. "Well, except for Italy."

"Okay, this is what we'll do for today." Maka announced, walking back up to them. Tsugumi felt a spark of disappointment, for she desperately wanted to know what happened in Italy, but she figured she could ask Soul later. "There are only three rooms in this cabin: two bedrooms and a kitchen. If it's okay with you girls, you'll share one of the beds while me and Soul share the other." Soul's eyes widened at this, and his red met her green. They had a small staring match with nods and eyebrow movements sprinkled in before Soul finally nodded and went to put their bags down in the rooms.

Maka turned back to the NOT pair. "Today I figured we'd go to the beach and gather information before coming back here. Sound good?" Tsugumi nodded vigorously, Anya doing the same. Maka smiled at them and walked into a bedroom.

In their bedroom, the Anya and Tsugumi changed quickly. When they were ready, Anya fell back onto the bed while Tsugumi sat on the floor. She met Anya's blue eyes. "What did you think they meant by 'show us what a true weapon and meister pair is'?" Anya asked, repeating Maka's promise from earlier.

Tsugumi shrugged. "I don't know, but something tells me that those two have something we don't."

Anya turned her head towards Tsugumi, and the look in her eyes made Tsugumi unsure of her observation. "What? Am I wrong?" Anya stared at her for a minute more before looking back up at the ceiling.

"No, you're not wrong. They do have something we don't. And I intend to find out what it is before the lesson is over."

Tsugumi was about to point out that that was the whole point of the lesson, but just then someone knocked on the door. Soul's deep voice resonated through the wood. "Hey, we're outside and ready when you are." His footsteps echoed down the hall as he walked away.

Ten minutes later, the four of them were walking down a small beach on the shore of a lake. Soul and Maka were walking in front of them, Soul's arms tossed casually behind his head as they talked. They found a shady spot free of the midsummer heat as well of nearby beachgoers. The beach wasn't packed, but there was a fair amount of people scattered across it. They all peeled off their clothes and tossed them aside. Tsugumi jealously eyed the other girls' bathing suits: Anya's expensive string bikini the color of the night sky and Maka's black haltered bikini. Tsugumi's simple pink and blue one suddenly didn't feel as cute as when she had bought it.

Anya's gasp turned her head towards Soul. _'He probably has a rippling six-pack or something, with that reaction.'_ But all the lighthearted thoughts she had were discarded at the sight of Soul's chest.

He didn't have a six-pack, but he did have muscles. She wasn't wrong about that part. However, Tsugumi hadn't expected the scar slicing across his abdomen from his left collarbone to his right hip. It was obviously old, since the skin had smoothed over. There was evidence of stitching in some places. Tsugumi tried not to stare, but she couldn't tear her eyes away. She had a feeling Anya was doing the same thing.

Maka caught them before Soul did. Tsugumi's face flushed in embarrassment. She began to apologize, but she noticed Maka was staring at it too, her almost watery eyes tracing its path down her weapon's chest. The smile had fallen from her lips, and a little of the color had left her face. The girl seemed to have gone into a trance, her world orbiting solely around the scar cutting across Soul.

Soul finally straightened, startling all three girls. Out of the corner of her eye, Tsugumi watched as Maka reassembled herself so easily that Tsugumi thought she'd imagined it . _'She does that a lot.'_ Tsugumi realized. "I'm gonna run back to the house and grab some food. If this goes well, we'll be here for a few hours. And I'll get hungry." Maka rolled her eyes but smiled, any traces of her earlier behavior gone. "Okay, but don't expect us to wait for you. Right, girls?" Anya laughed in agreement.

Tsugumi broke in. "Actually, I left something back at the cabin, too. Is it alright if I tag along?" She looked timidly at Soul. She had to know where he had gotten that scar. And why it had made Maka react the way she had.

"Yeah, sure." The older weapon shrugged and started walking. Tsugumi didn't miss the smirk on his face. "But don't expect me to wait for you."


	3. Chapter 3

Tsugumi had heard plenty of gossip about Soul. She had heard from reliable sources that he was as antisocial as he was attractive, often seen walking around quietly with his meister. He constantly slacked off and slept during classes, and it was rumored that the only reason he stayed was for Maka. He gave Tsugumi the kind of feeling that you were doing something wrong, making her tingly and jumpy. It didn't help that she was just as social as he was.

She opened her mouth to speak, but he beat her to the punch. "So, what do you want?" He didn't look at her, didn't take his hands out of his pockets. She could almost believe he hadn't said anything. But she felt the blood redden her cheeks, and she stuttered. "I'm not—I don't—" An amused smile graced his features. This time he did look at her, red eyes boring into her purple ones. "Yeah, right. You're not a very good liar." His smile grew, becoming slightly crooked and revealing almost-pointed teeth. "Your face gets all red. Like that." Finally giving up, Tsugumi allowed her face to fall into a pout, and she balled up her fists. "It does not!" She huffed and puffed her cheeks, when suddenly he laughed.

All of the anger flowed out of her as she watched him laugh. It wasn't loud or overdramatic, but something was different. She hadn't seen him so much as smile this whole trip, and now here he was laughing as easily as if he were breathing. At her, but he was still laughing. It made her almost dizzy with confusion.

"So, really, what's up? No one just up and decides to spend time with me unless I'm with Maka." Tsugumi focused back on Soul, who had stopped laughing but wore an easy smile on his face.

She fought the blush down this time and met his eyes. "I was just wondering…" _'This is a little harder than I thought.'_ She let out a breath and tried again. "Look, this is probably personal and none of my business, but I'm curious. Where did you get that scar? And why did Maka react like that?"

The smile slipped off his face, and his hand bunched up the fabric of his muscle tee over his heart like it had before. "Don't worry about Maka, she's fine." Soul's fingers danced along the hem of his shirt, just above the scar peeking out over his collarbone. "That's her whole problem." At Tsugumi's questioning glance, he looked up at the sky.

"A couple of years ago, when Maka was about thirteen, we took a mission in Italy to hunt down a pack of rogue Kishin." His voice was guarded, and Tsugumi remembered his words back at the cabin: _She loves traveling. I don't think there's a country she hasn't loved. Well, except for Italy."_ A coil of fear settled in her stomach. "After we got the last one, Maka sensed an odd soul wavelength from a church. We went in and found an insane meister and weapon pair. We tried to fight them, but the weapon had a crazy wavelength that affected me in weapon form. It cut into my shoulder, and it scared Maka so bad she stopped defending herself. The meister finally pushed us back against the door, which wouldn't open, but that idiot still wouldn't defend herself. I changed back and took the blow meant for her."

Tsugumi felt a sharp heat prick her eyes. Soul wasn't meeting her eyes, his body stiff and guarded. Fear wrestled with admiration and awe inside her. _'He…'_ Tsugumi wasn't sure of the correct word that would describe Soul's feelings about Maka, but she knew it far exceeded the word she associated with Anya. _Best friend_ was not how Soul saw Maka.

She wiped at her eyes and spoke. "Soul, is this what Maka meant before? About the weapon and meister bond?" His eyes flicked down to her, and she took this as a signal to continue. "Because…I don't know. You don't just…" She let a breath go, her emotions too jumbled to form a coherent thought.

"No, you don't." Soul's low voice hummed in agreement. He held her gaze, the seriousness in his eyes flooring her. "You do it for your meister."


	4. Chapter 4

Tsugumi didn't utter a word the rest of the walk, and it didn't seem as though Soul cared that much. The whole way back, he swung the bag of food in one hand as he observed and listened to the people they strolled past. Tsugumi watched as he pointedly ignore the giggling cluster of girls that stared at him like hungry predators, and she almost laughed. He looked almost afraid of them. He noticed her facial expression and smiled embarrassedly, but didn't speak.

When they got back to the blanket, Maka and Anya were waiting for them. Both girls looked up, their conversation ending abruptly. Anya looked pale, and Tsugumi made a mental note to ask her what they had been talking about later. _'I'm sure from my face she's doing the same thing.'_ Tsugumi thought, before turning her attention back to the EAT pair.

Soul had a crooked smile on his face, his sharp teeth gleaming. "I thought we shouldn't have expected you to wait on us. If I recall correctly, those were your exact words." His smile grew at the look his meister gave him, and Tsugumi watched as she whipped out an incredibly thick book from behind her and swung the spine of it toward the top of Soul's head. It connected with a dull thud, and Soul crumpled to the ground.

Terror gripped Tsugumi when Maka turned toward her, ignoring her weapon wallering around on the ground in pain. She relaxed when Maka smiled and put the book down, and patted the ground next to her. "You guys took a while," she observed. "What were you talking about?" Tsugumi settled down next to her, but the grip of fear took hold of her again. She glanced over at Soul, who had stopped rolling around in favor of rubbing his head vigorously. However, he had stopped when Maka asked her question. Tsugumi noticed the warning in his eyes, a cold fear hardening the red irises. Tsugumi shrugged her shoulders indifferently, hoping she wasn't being rude. "Oh, not a whole lot. We mainly just people-watched."

"Oh, yeah! I meant to tell you this before I got brained." Soul glared at Maka's innocent look, which made Anya and Tsugumi giggle. "There was a group of people back about half a mile back. I didn't have your Soul-Perception, but I felt that creepy chill I get when you're right about a Kishin. They might be able to help us, with a little persuasion." A wicked grin split across Soul's face, and his eyes gleamed brighter than his teeth. Maka didn't seem to feel the same small fear Tsugumi felt at the look on his face, for she took his outstretched hand and grasped it tightly. She smiled, but it wasn't like Soul's. "Let's go, then."

* * *

The wolf whistle that rang out across the sand made Tsugumi flinch, because it meant the group had spotted them. There were four guys and two girls in all, all dressed in swimsuits. The girls were wearing barely-there string bikinis, showing off their figures. They weren't as obvious as their male companions, but the eyes raking Soul up and down weren't discreet. Tsugumi felt embarrassed, because Maka, Anya, and she were dressed in the same fashion. All three of them wore bikini tops and jean shorts, hoping to let the boys' guards down enough that they'd leak any information they might have. _'Luckily we have Soul, or the girls might have caught on to our plan.'_

"What are pretty girls like you doing all the way up here?" sneered the tallest one, bending down and shoving his face into Maka's. Out of the corner of her eye, Tsugumi watched Soul step forward just to be stopped by the girls clinging to his arms. His disgust was evident, but the girls didn't seem to notice. They rubbed their hands up and down his arms and leaned their heads on his shoulders. Needless to say, he couldn't go stand next to his meister.

To Maka's credit, she didn't miss a beat. She smiled and leaned forward a little, and she hummed. "Oh, you know how the song goes, don't you? 'Girls just wanna have fun.'" She leaned back from him and cocked her hips to the side, and Tsugumi didn't miss how all four guys followed the movement with their eyes. "You boys doing anything?"

A guy from the back walked up behind Tsugumi and Anya and snaked an arm around their shoulders. "We'll do anything you girls want." Tsugumi crinkled her nose at the strong smell of whiskey on his breath, but followed Maka's lead and smiled sweetly. She looked at Anya, who looked as disgusted as Tsugumi felt. Tsugumi glared at her meister until she forced her lips into a smile, looking like she wanted to kill the man with it.

The tall guy, now with his big arm around Maka's waist, shouted back to the girls. "Chloe! Haley! You girls can go. We'll see you back at the club." Tsugumi spun around just in time to see both girls pout, with an uncomfortable-looking Soul towering over them. They unlatched themselves from his arms and walked up to the tall guy. "Can we at least take our new toy with us? He's a little uptight, but I'm sure we can—hm, get him to loosen up." Both girls had an odd look in their eyes, and one of them licked their lips.

Tsugumi could hardly believe how well the plan was going. Maka, Anya, and she could crack the boys, and Soul could get the girls drunk and find out what they knew. _'They're really good at this intel stuff.'_ Tsugumi thought.

Then she looked over at Maka.

Maka's face had been drained of all color. The guy still had his large hand on her hip, but that didn't seem to be the problem. Maka's green eyes were flitting between the two girls and Soul. Suddenly, Tsugumi understood. _'If Soul goes with the girls, she won't have a weapon.'_ Tsugumi glanced back at Soul, who was staring at Maka, shaking his head slightly.

Anya's voice invaded the pause in conversation, her aloof tone startling Tsugumi. "You can go too, Soul. Maybe we'll see you tomorrow. And don't stalk us or anything, okay?" Anya met everyone's disbelieving stares with her own exasperated one. "What, you didn't think he was with us, did you?" She looked back to Soul, who seemed to have understood Anya's plan.

"Yeah, fine. Besides, stalking? That's so uncool." He turned around and waved his hand. "Oh, and sorry girls. But I've got places to be. Maybe some other time." They all watched as he slowly walked away, the sunset blurring his figure the farther he walked. Tsugumi turned to look over at Anya, hoping for some kind of explanation. She met Anya's eyes, but her meister didn't offer anything other than an eye roll.

It clicked. _"And don't stalk us or anything, okay?"_ Soul was going to follow them from a distance, so when they got what they needed, he could help Maka. Looking over at Maka, she seemed to arrived at the same conclusion. The relief in her face was apparent. The girls huffed and strutted away in the same direction Soul had gone.

All four boys smiled at them after the girls had left. It made Tsugumi uneasy, especially the way they all stared at them like starving animals. The guy next to Maka pulled the small girl closer to him and spread his other hand out to the side. "Well, girls." His smile pulled back his lips to reveal his gold tooth. "Let's have some fun."

And he threw Maka to the ground.


	5. Chapter 5

It all happened in slow-motion for Tsugumi: the arm around her shoulder moving to encircle her throat, Anya crying out, Maka thudding to the ground. Part of her brain idly wondered if Soul was going to reach them in time. She watched as Maka slowly got up and assumed a fighting stance, before she stumbled forward and fell to the ground again. The guy that had pushed her down placed his foot on her head and laughed.

"We caught this one, too." Tsugumi snapped back to reality when another body crashed to the ground. Soul skidded across the sand and stopped a few feet away from Maka, Chloe and Haley standing above him. "He was lurking around about a mile that way." She jerked her thumb over her shoulder. Soul groaned on the ground.

"Maka." Soul began to glow, the eerie blue light enveloping him all too familiar. Its brightness intensified with every passing second, until a cry rang out. Tsugumi swiveled to see the guy sitting on top of Maka, pinning her legs to the ground while twisting her arm behind her back. "Ah ah ah, little weapon." The glow went out completely, and Tsugumi shivered at the look Soul sent the man. His teeth were bared in a snarl, and his eyes held a thirst for battle that Tsugumi had never seen before.

"Stop." Soul pushed himself to his feet, swaying as he did so. "Get off my meister." The same prickling heat in her eyes she had felt earlier came back to her as she watched Soul. His voice was strong and clear, but it just barely trembled with fear. The tall guy, who Tsugumi assumed was the leader, strolled up to Soul and bent down, just like he had to Maka earlier. He smirked when Soul didn't move. "Dominic, let the girl go. Haley, hun, transform for me."

Tsugumi took Anya's hand from the other side of the man that was probably an order away from strangling them. Anya squeezed it, and Tsugumi caught the imperceptible shake of her head out of the corner of her eye. _Not yet._ Feeling a fraction braver, Tsugumi watched as one of the girls, Haley, glowed like a supernova before dropping to the ground as a nasty-looking barbed whip. Chloe picked her up and gave her to the leader. She then transformed into a small dagger for Dominic, who had left Maka lying on the ground.

Which was a mistake, because Maka leapt up and cracked her leg around to his head in a roundhouse kick. He went down like a bag of rocks, out cold before he hit the ground. Chloe changed back into a human, an annoyed look gracing her features. She shrugged and retreated back to the outer edge of the scene. "Sorry, boss. Dominic's out." She brought up her shoulders in another indifferent shrug.

 _'You definitely don't look sorry.'_ Tsugumi thought.

Maka was up again, her feet planted firmly in the sand. A brief flash later and an eight-foot scythe was twirling around in her hand, its red-and-black blade slicing the air with every arc. Maka looked stronger with it in her hand, and not quite as small as Tsugumi knew she was. Tsugumi may have been imagining it, but as it spun around, the scythe's blade seemed to gleam brighter. The EAT pair's power rippled through the air, and Tsugumi could feel the other weapons and meisters' uneasiness. The leader, gripping tightly to the whip in his hands, yelled out, "Men! Retreat!"

A force tightened around Tsugumi's fingers, and she recognized it as Anya's hand. Nodding her head, she slid into her halberd form hiding in her soul. With five years of practice, her change from human to halberd had become as flawless as the first time she had seen Soul do his in front of the NOT class. She felt the guy behind her curse as she began to glow, and a second later, Anya jabbed her spear point toward the man behind them, but he jumped up out of the way. He pulled out a small pistol from his pants, aiming toward Anya. In a split second, Tsugumi realized what he was aiming at.

She changed back and tackled Anya to the ground, surprising her meister. But Tsugumi wasn't focused on Anya at the moment. "Maka! Watch out, our guy has a—"

The gunshot cracked through the air, and everything slowed down again: the leader pushing Maka off-balance and backing away, the bullet rushing over Tsugumi and Anya's heads. Maka's eyes as she registered the situation, and her too-slow attempt to twist her body out of the bullet's path. Then, Maka began to radiate light, a blue glow glaring around her figure against the now dark sky.

 _'Wait, only weapons can transform.'_ Tsugumi's thought sluggishly. Then, the truth hit her, sharpening her focus once again. She remembered Soul's face when they walked back to the cabin, the seriousness in his red eyes. _"You do it for your meister."_ She recalled his expression as she ran around the cabin, with the tiniest smile twisting his mouth. Most of all, she remembered him telling her the story of the scar that marred his chest. How he almost died saving his meister.

Tsugumi came crashing back into reality. "Soul!" she screamed. Maka, who also seemed to register what was happening, seemed to try and throw Soul away from her. Her efforts were futile, however, as it seemed that he had become too heavy for her to move. As soon as he was a full human, Tsugumi saw the bullet pierce the right shoulder of his shirt, watched as his torso jerked back and his head shot up in pain, felt the sand move as his body hit it.

Tsugumi had never heard a more pained sound than Maka's scream.


	6. Chapter 6

Anya began to chase after their escaping enemies, but Tsugumi put a hand on her shoulder, shaking her head. They both slowly walked up to the EAT pair. Soul was struggling to sit up with the help of his meister, who had tears threatening to spill from her green orbs. Soul gave them an easy smile, as if he didn't have a bullet wound in his shoulder. He wrapped his uninjured around Maka and sat still as she pounded her fists against his chest before collapsing against him in tears. "You stupid—I could've—You—" Soul only nodded, still sitting perfectly still. He leaned his head back, looking up at the inky black sky. His face scrunched up when his movements disturbed his shoulder, causing Anya to kneel down next to him.

Carefully avoiding Maka, Anya peeled the bloodied shirt's hem away from the wound. The flesh surrounding the bullet hole was twisted, like a sort of whirlpool. Blood leaked from the wound, rivulets of red liquid etching lines over the muscles in Soul's arm and chest. Thick black fluid dripped from it too, making Tsugumi grimace. She watched her meister use her headband to dab away most of the blood before applying a careful pressure to the wound itself. Soul sucked in a breath, but made no real sound.

Her attention slid back to Maka. The younger girl hadn't detached herself from her weapon, her arms tightly encircling his torso. Her head was buried in between his neck and uninjured shoulder, Soul weaving strands of her hair through his fingers. She seemed to have stopped crying, but it didn't seem like she was ready to move anytime soon.

Anya stood up, her headband intricately knotted around the bullet wound. She wiped her hands on her legs and smeared blood over her skin. "Okay, I've stopped the blood flow, but we need to get the bullet out of your shoulder. I'm guessing you have medical supplies in the cabin?" At Soul's nod, she continued. "Okay, good." She carefully knelt down and placed a hand on Maka's shoulder, with a gentleness that surprised Tsugumi. "Maka," she murmured. "We have to go back to the cabin, to get the bullet out of Soul's shoulder." Maka tensed and squeezed Soul tighter, and it hit Tsugumi that Maka was two years younger than she and Anya. Even Soul was a year older than she was. Watching her now, hugging Soul like a child, made her look even younger.

Tsugumi watched with a newfound respect as the younger meister picked her head up off her weapon's shoulder. She pushed herself up to her feet and wiped her eyes before holding her hand out for Soul. Maka's face seemed to be carefully constructed into a casual smile. Regardless, Soul gave her a crooked smile and took her hand, allowing her to pull him up. He spun around so that when he stopped, she was pushed up against his side and his arm was around her shoulder.

Maka nodded at the NOT girls, her face not betraying her emotions. "Let's go."

* * *

By the time they had reached the cabin, the moon was shining over the beach. Anya took Soul into one of the bedrooms with the medical kit, while Maka went into the kitchen and shut the door. After nearly an hour, Anya came out of the room and sat down next to Tsugumi on the floor.

Tsugumi brought her knees up to her chest and rested her cheek on them, fixing her eyes on Anya, who looked exhausted. She smiled, trying the lighten the mood. "So, was your Yngling medical knowledge helpful?" Anya smirked, but it didn't reach her eyes. "Anya?"

Her meister sighed. "I swear Tsugumi, you know me too well." She mimicked Tsugumi's position, her blue eyes thoughtful. "I've just been thinking. He literally just took a bullet for someone. And while I was in there, he was only concerned about not making a single sound. He would grab the sheets, clench his teeth, but he didn't make a sound." She sighed again. "I asked him why, but he just shook his head."

"He did it for his meister." Tsugumi whispered, recalling Soul's words. He wasn't going to let Maka hear a single ounce of pain from him, because he knew it would make her feel worse. She focused back on Anya, and saw her meister's eyelids drooping. "Is Soul asleep?" Anya nodded, and Tsugumi stood up. She helped Anya up, and after shutting the door to their room, she walked over to the door to the kitchen.

She knocked, and a moment later the door opened to reveal Maka. Her eyes were bloodshot, but it didn't seem like she'd been crying. _'That's good, at least.'_ "Hey," Tsugumi whispered, trying not to sound too pitying. "Anya's finished cleaning Soul up, and he's asleep, if you want to go see him." Maka stared at Tsugumi for so long she thought she hadn't heard her, but as she opened her mouth to repeat herself, Maka smiled. It wasn't big, but it was one of relief. Tsugumi turned around and followed Maka to the door to the bedroom.

The weapon went to turn and go, but Maka's thin voice stopped her. "Wait," Maka croaked. She'd apparently been crying more than Tsugumi had originally believed. "If you want, we can talk. I'm sure you have a couple of questions, and I can't say I'd mind the company."

Tsugumi stared at her idol. Despite being younger, Maka had always been everything Tsugumi aspired to be at the DWMA: tough, smart, and cute. Maka was one of the strongest meisters at school, best friends with Lord Death's son and an assassin, and top of her class. Her weapon was the most sought-after partner in the entire DWMA, being the last Death Scythe, which only added to Maka's reputation in Tsugumi's opinion. Tsugumi had always put Maka on a pedestal, admiring her from afar. And without her even realizing it, Maka had stepped off and become just what she had always been: a girl.


	7. Chapter 7

Soul's breathing was steady and even. The only source of light was the lamp in the far corner of the room. Soul was lying on the bed, pushed up against the wooden slats of the wall. He had no shirt on, the wound in his shoulder a light shade of red against his tan skin. Maka was leaning against the headboard of the bed and siting next to his head, while Tsugumi sat on the floor across the room. She watched Maka play with his fingers in her lap, and a tiny smile flitted across her face.

"I'm jealous of you two." Tsugumi admitted, startling Maka. "I've known Anya for…" Tsugumi counted on her fingers. "Five years. And I'm beginning to think we will never have what you two do." Maka laughed almost wistfully, twining her fingers with Soul's.

"Did you know that Soul is the first guy I chose to trust?" Tsugumi blinked at this information. _'Chose?'_ While she processed this fact, Maka continued. "My father is a kind of womanizer, so when I was little I developed a premature hatred towards men in general. I still loathe to be around most of them from time to time." Maka hadn't looked up from her fingers intertwined with her weapon's, who still slept soundly.

"We met when I was around nine, at a party thrown by the DWMA. It was a few hours after the party had started, and I was wandering around the halls because no one in the main room had interested me. He was hiding out in a back room, sitting at a grand piano. He was playing a song when I came in, and he was so focused that he didn't seem to notice I was there. He never believes me, but he really is a good pianist. The song was…haunting, but not creepy like he claims it is. After he was done, he looked kind of surprised to see me. I remember feeling dizzy, and telling him he shouldn't be there. He laughed at me." Maka looked over at Tsugumi, who was smiling. The meister blushed, and continued. "We argued for a while before he asked me if I needed a weapon. I remember the second he grabbed my hand, I decided to try to trust him.

"And despite everything I did, he never betrayed it. I would drop him on missions, scrape his blade against the ground or a wall, one time I even left him leaning against a wall for an hour." Maka laughed quietly, Tsugumi giggling along with her. "If anything, I think _I'm_ the one who tests _his_ trust." She looked over at Tsugumi suddenly, a pretty blush on her face. "I'm sorry, I'm rambling. I brought you in here so _you_ could talk, not me."

Tsugumi shook her head vigorously. "No, I want to hear more! Soul told me a little bit earlier today, about the church in Italy—" At Maka's expression, Tsugumi backtracked. "I mean—"

"No, it's okay. It's way overdue for me to get over that." Despite her words, Tsugumi felt embarrassed. She remembered her face at the beach, and she felt even worse. She knew that the scar on Soul's chest symbolized something for Maka, and even if she didn't know what it was, Tsugumi knew it wasn't something that should be brought up.

She looked back up at Maka, who was still white. "Um, maybe talking about it would help?"

Maka stared at her, a calculating look in her eyes. She finally let go of a breath, and began. "I'm assuming Soul told you that he was sliced open in place of me." At Tsugumi's hesitant nod, she continued. "And for him, that's pretty much where the nightmare ends. He lost consciousness from the blood loss and pain almost instantly." Her little hand tightened around Soul's much bigger one, and a tear slipped down her face. Tsugumi was impressed when her voice didn't shake. "The next couple of minutes were kind of a haze for me, and Dr. Stein told me later that I went into shock. When I came out of it, my father, the current Death Scythe, and Dr. Stein were fighting the meister who cut Soul. He escaped with a witch named Medusa, but I can't remember any of that. It's just what I was told.

"I can count the number of times I've ever cried on one hand, and two of the times are related to Soul's condition. The first one was on the _ten-hour_ plane ride back to the DWMA. They were the longest ten hours of my life, with Dr. Stein and my father trying to staunch the blood flow, and Soul occasionally yelling because they had pressed to hard." Tsugumi was now crying, her hand clapped over her mouth to muffle her hiccuping sobs. _'No one should have to go through this, especially at thirteen.'_

"When we got back to the DWMA, Dr. Stein rushed him off the plane so fast I was left behind. My father guided me through the halls to the infirmary, and I sat outside of the operating room for six hours. I didn't eat or sleep, I just sat there, playing the fight over and over again in my head. When Dr. Stein finally came out, I practically flew through the door to see him. That was the second time I cried." Both girls locked eyes, tears leaking from Tsugumi's, a single tear streak from each of Maka's. "Tsugumi, this goes without saying, but please don't tell Soul any of this." Maka's hand fidgeted nervously with Soul's in her lap. "I've never told anyone what I just told you, and he's the last person who needs to hear it."

Soul's voice, still husky from sleep, stilled both girls. "Then I suggest next time you want to keep something from me, you don't say it when I'm in the same room."


	8. Chapter 8

Tsugumi wished she could disappear. Or fall into a hole, like Alice into Wonderland. Or pretty much be anywhere other than the bedroom with Maka and Soul.

Maka's voice trembled with what sounded like fear. "Soul? How long have you been awake?" Soul pushed himself up into a sitting position, and Tsugumi noticed he was using his injured shoulder. Maka noticed, too. "Hey! Don't use your—"

"Black blood." Soul said bluntly, confusing Tsugumi but appearing to make perfect sense to Maka. He smirked, wagging his and Maka's intertwined hands around in between their faces. "And it's not like my other hand was free." His smirk grew at her puffed out cheeks, before sliding off his face. "And as for your other question, I woke up a few minutes ago." Maka also sobered, and she glanced over at Tsugumi. With wide eyes, Tsugumi could only shrug. _'What does she want me to do?'_ she wondered.

Soul noticed the glance, and seemed to notice Tsugumi for the first time. "Oh, you're here too," he stated plainly. He looked over at the door, then back to her. "I don't want to be rude, but could you—?"

"No worries, I got it!" Tsugumi scrambled to her feet and sprinted to the door. She dashed out and shut the door loudly behind her. For some reason, she felt embarrassed. _'Poor Maka…'_ she thought. The emotions she had been locking away for four years, the secret she had kept, was now known to the one person who she didn't want to know. Tsugumi couldn't help but feel partly responsible.

She yawned, her fatigue from the fight catching up with her all at once. She trudged back to her and Anya's room, where her meister was passed out on the bed. Tsugumi fought her way into a T-shirt and laid down next to Anya, falling asleep easily.

* * *

Tsugumi awoke to the feeling of the mattress moving. She blinked blearily and rolled over to see Anya pushing herself up off the bed, her hair tangled and clothes rumpled. Tsugumi followed her, shoving herself off the bed and onto her feet. She stumbled over to her bag and pulled out her clothes. "Hey, Anya," she mumbled, still trying to wake up. "What time is it?" She heard Anya shuffling around while she got dressed.

Tsugumi was pulling on her jeans when Anya yelped, causing Tsugumi to fall over. She spun her head around, glaring at Anya. "What was that for?" Anya didn't seem to hear her, because she was running around like a chicken with its head cut off. Tsugumi sighed. "Anya!"

Her meister looked at her with wide eyes. "It's ten o'clock!" She proceeded to tug on a short dress that only she could manage to fight in. It was tight enough to cling to her thin frame, but loose enough to not restrict her movements. Tsugumi eyed it jealously, but focused on her panicking meister. "Anya, the battle is tonight, not this morning. And besides, you need to check on Soul before we make any further plans." Anya froze, processing Tsugumi's words before finally nodding. Both girls finished preparing and walked out.

"Um, Anya? What are you doing?" Anya had walked right up to Soul and Maka's room, with her hand on the doorknob.

Anya stared at her like she was stupid, but answered. "I'm going to go check on Soul?"

Tsugumi's cheeks pinked, and she shook her head. "You can't go in there right now! They're still sleeping. Besides, that's their room, and they probably want their privacy." Anya stared at her for a minute more before pushing the door open.

Tsugumi crept up and peeked out from over Anya's shoulder, and smiled. Soul was propped up on his elbow, fully awake. He smiled awkwardly and moved his hand in a wave. His gaze moved down to his chest, where Maka clung to it. Her arms were wrapped around him, and her head was resting on his shoulder. Her eyes were still shut, and her breathing was even. She was wearing the same jacket she had worn yesterday, and it clicked that the jacket was Soul's.

Anya took a step inside, but Tsugumi grabbed her wrist. "No, Anya. He's obviously fine right now. You can check on him when Maka wakes up." She could feel her hesitation, but Anya relented and strutted toward the kitchen.

Tsugumi grabbed the doorknob and pulled it towards her, but Soul's whisper made her pause. "Thanks." She smiled in answer, afraid of waking Maka. But she didn't miss Soul fit his chin over Maka's head as she shut the door.


	9. Chapter 9

The day flew by after that. Maka and Soul finally emerged from their room at noon. Anya had shockingly declared Soul's arm as good as new, making Tsugumi curious about the black blood he offered as an explanation. Maka and Anya had discussed strategies in the house for hours, while Tsugumi and Soul sharpened their blades on a poor tree near the front of the cabin.

All too quickly, it was nine o'clock at night and the two pairs were roaming the streets. Maka had thought it would be a bad idea to leave the unexperienced NOT girls alone in the night, so they had opted to stay together. It made Tsugumi feel a little bit better, at the very least.

It finally happened a half hour after they set out. "Someone's coming," Soul murmured, his voice ringing out of his scythe blade. The eye on the shaft swiveled to a church behind them. Its stone walls rose up into the night, spires reaching up to the stars. Maka and Anya spun around, weapons raised out in from of them. Tsugumi looked out from her mirrored blade and saw a shadow flicker across the stone. She felt Anya's hands shaking slightly where they held her, making Tsugumi's worry increase tenfold. She stamped it down, though, when the shadow emerged as a figure.

"Very good, I'm impressed." It cooed, stepping closer to them. The shadow began to take shape, its edges moving to outline a woman. "But, with you being a Death Scythe, I really shouldn't be." In an instant, the woman was next to Maka, dragging her finger along the gold on Soul's blade. Tsugumi recognized her as the switchblade from the night before, Chloe. Maka swung Soul at her waist, but she jumped away. "Naughty girl. Remember, I'm not here to attack you. Just to talk." Her arm glowed before changing into a knife blade. "Now, tell the Death Scythe and halberd to transform before I have to make myself a liar."

They were backed into a corner, and Tsugumi knew it. She allowed her halberd form to slip away, and she changed back. She watched Soul change back as well, staying in front of Maka, who didn't look thrilled about their situation.

Chloe smiled sweetly, clapping her both human hands together. "Great!" Her gaze swept over all of them, landing on her and Anya. "Who are they? New recruits?" A stony silence swelled up in the night air, and Chloe's face flickered with anger. "Trust me, girl. It's in your best interest to answer my questions." Tsugumi caught Soul step forward in the corner of her eye, and a wicked smile split across Chloe's face. "Or, from what happened last night, the scythe's best interest."

Maka's face darkened, grabbing Soul's arm tightly. The weapon himself, to his credit, didn't react to the threat. "Soul, change back into a scythe. I'm gonna slice her in half."

Soul laughed, the blue glow wrapping around him. "Okay, just remember—" He was cut off when Maka launched forward, swinging Soul with a controlled precision that Tsugumi was sure Anya would be trying to mimic as soon as they got back. _'If…'_ A little voice in Tsugumi's head whispered, making her cringe. Instead, she focused on Maka and Soul.

Maka moved so fast she was hard to follow. One second she was on the ground, the next she was springing off the wall of a building. And Chloe seemed to be having trouble evading her. Her arm had gone back to a knife, but it appeared to be all she could do to avoid Soul's blade. The clash of blade against blade rang out in the thick, humid air. A feeling of awe mixed with fear swelled up inside Tsugumi. _This_ was what an EAT pair was, what a weapon and meister could do together. Maka continued to mercilessly cut and slice at the air previously occupied by Chloe, whose anger looked to have dissolved into sheer terror.

Chloe leapt up onto a balcony, breathing heavy and pointing at Maka, who had stopped down on the ground and didn't look exhausted in the least. "This fight is getting me nowhere." Chloe panted, her arm dissolving back into skin and bones. "My boss is waiting in the church." She pointed at the chapel she had come out of. Maka grunted, and a moment later she had jumped up eye-level with Chloe. She sliced Soul through her torso, causing her to let out a blood-curdling scream. A glowing red orb hovered above the spot where Chloe had been. Patches of what appeared to be scales clung to parts of it. Soul leaned out of his blade and grabbed the soul by the top, before his tongue snuck out and pulled it in his mouth. Tsugumi didn't know whether to be disgusted or envious.

Maka leapt off the balcony, landing easily in front of the NOT pair. Soul appeared next to her, the teasing smile still going strong. "I don't know whether to call you mean or slow, Maka." His smirk grew at Maka's annoyed look.

She huffed and crossed her arms. "I was neither mean nor slow. I told you I was going to slice her in half, first of all. And as for the slow part, you're the one who stopped me from cleaving her in two in the first place!" Her cheeks puffed out in anger and she glared at him, which only made him smile more.

He clasped his hands behind his head and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, well, you can't immediately halve our only source of information. She had details we needed, ones that we wouldn't have gotten had I allowed you to be reckless."

Tsugumi, who had been watching the exchange with awed confusion, was expecting Maka to hit him with her book, but she simply deflated, her posture sagging. "I know, I know. Can we just go inside already?" She grabbed her laughing scythe out of the air, fixing her gaze on Anya and Tsugumi. "Sorry that took so long. You two ready?" Tsugumi shared a look with Anya. _'That took long?'_ she wondered, sure Anya was thinking the same thing. She shrugged before allowing the change to wash over her once again, feeling Anya twirl her around to her shoulder. The confidence in Anya's "yes" didn't reverberate into Tsugumi, the fear she felt driving it back. Nevertheless, she leaned against Anya's shoulder as she walked through the looming door of the church.


	10. Chapter 10

The chapel's interior was as breathtaking as the outside. The walls stretched up to impossible heights, supporting a beautifully painted ceiling. Stained glass windows filtered in the waning moonlight, casting vivid shapes on the carpeted floor. Rows of pews led up to an ornate altar surrounded by candles, its waxy shadows flitting about on the floor.

A tall figure was hunched over the altar, a long string hanging from his lap. It was the man from the beach the night before. He stood at their entrance, the string dangling his hand turning out to be a barbed whip. _'That other girl, Haley.'_ Tsugumi remembered. _'She's the whip.'_ She started to tell Anya, but a metallic sound echoed of the walls, followed by a laugh.

In front of her, Maka had dropped Soul on the floor. Soul changed back, rubbing his head and crouching on the floor. "Ow, Maka! That hurt, damn it!" Tsugumi changed back too, a seed of an explanation starting to grow in her head. _'Please, let me be wrong.'_ The laughing had stopped, and the leader's cold voice filled her ears, making her sick. "Oh, no. What's wrong, girlie?" Maka's face had paled slightly, and her normally sharp green eyes were unfocused, as if she was in a trance. She dropped to her knees, breathing heavily. Tsugumi knelt next to her, a sick sense of knowing coiling in her stomach.

Soul, however, didn't seem to catch on. His earlier ease had faded away to panic, both from the looming enemy and Maka's behavior. "Maka? Hey, Maka!" He yelled and grabbed her chin and turned her face towards his, his red eyes fearful. "Maka?" he whispered, and Tsugumi suddenly felt like an intruder. She tried to tell him what was wrong, but the tall man beat her to it. "You know, the fear of churches is called something…ecclesiophobia, I think." He let out another harsh laugh. "But in her case, I guess it's just called trauma!"

Soul went still for a minute, before the realization hit him. His face went white as paper, and he went back to shaking his meister. "Maka! This is not the time!" He yanked her hand over his heart, his knuckles white from gripping her wrist. "There, see? My heart's beating. I'm okay. You need to wake up now." His voice had relaxed during his speech, and Tsugumi got the feeling that this wasn't the first time he had said this.

A scream pried Tsugumi's attention away from Maka. Anya stumbled back from the leader, her hand clutching her bleeding arm. Blood dripped from one of the barbs on the whip, and Tsugumi knew it would be an image that would haunt her late at night. But when the whip was raised again, her body moved on its own. One second she was with Maka and Soul, the next she had her spear point driven into the carpet of the chapel with the whip wrapped around her shaft. Adrenaline sharpened her blades and pumped through her system, the noises of confusion coming from both weapon and meister filling her with a sense of satisfaction.

"Sorry I'm late." Tsugumi declared, the strength in her voice surprising her. The whip unwound itself from her shaft, Anya's hand gripping it with a steely firmness.

"No worries, you didn't take long at all." Anya responded. She spun Tsugumi's spear point around with the same practiced ease she had with everything she did, ending with the tip just under the man's chin. She felt Anya's determination as if it were her own. "And neither will I."

Anya jabbed forward, only to clash against a red and black blade. Soul stood slightly in front of them, his scythe blade curving out from his shoulder. He straightened and slightly turned his head, fixing them with a sad look. "Maka…Maka isn't listening to me." His voice sounded fragile. "I'll handle this, if you guys will try and break through to her."

Anya didn't move, and Tsugumi spoke to Soul. "What do you mean, she won't listen to you? You're the only one—"

"Don't tell me I'm the only one that can fix this. I'm not, I'm the problem." His voice was rough. Tsugumi felt his blade harden against her spear's tip, and she tried again.

"Don't say that. I was going to say that you're the only one she trusts." The weapon froze, and his arm dropped slightly. He turned back to look at her and Anya, his expression unreadable.

"Maka doesn't need my kindness right now," he said firmly.

Anya's grip tightened. "We'll try. But I will say this, Tsugumi and I can only do so much, Soul. You are the source of her fear, so you will have to be the one to bring her back." Tsugumi thought she saw Soul flinch, but she decided it was her imagination. Anya could be harsh, but he didn't seem like the type to be affected by words.

He turned back to the surprisingly patient meister with a nod. "I know. But I can't do this one by myself." He leapt forward, continuing the battle.

Tsugumi stayed in Anya's grip while she ran back to where Maka was resting, hoping Anya knew what she was doing.


	11. Chapter 11

Maka was propped up behind a pillar of the church, out of view from the man with the whip. She was dazed and murmuring to herself. Tsugumi caught something that sounded like "I screwed up," and she turned to Anya. "Anya? What are we supposed to do?" Anya looked just as hopeless as Tsugumi felt. Tsugumi sighed, looking back at the muttering girl. "We need to say something about that night, but we weren't there. We just know what happened."

Anya's head snapped to Tsugumi. "Wait, you know what happened? Maka told you?" Tsugumi slowly nodded, and at Anya's fierce look, told her what Maka had told her the night before. Anya's eyes never wavered, the occasional nod the only sign she was listening. The story weighed on Tsugumi all over again, a sadness welling up within her for the EAT pair.

When Tsugumi finished, Anya let out a breath and murmured, "No wonder the poor thing's a mess. I'd be the same way if that had happened to you." Tsugumi felt warm at the comment, a happy smile on her face. Anya returned the smile before focusing back on Maka. "So, how do we get her back?" The NOT pair lapsed into a thoughtful silence, the clanging of blades the only sound in the chapel.

After a long minute, Anya clenched her fists, catching Tsugumi's attention. "Anya?" Her meister's head rested against her chest, and she couldn't see her face. She was biting her lip, and Tsugumi felt worry creep in. "Um, Anya?" Her meister murmured something, but Tsugumi didn't hear her.

Anya's head shot up, fixing her cold blue eyes on the now silent Maka. "Now that I know what happened, my feelings have changed completely." Confused, Tsugumi reached out for Anya, but her hand was knocked away. "I thought everything was pure incompetence, and nothing more, but it seems I was wrong." Maka's head picked up slightly, Anya's words seeming to register. "You remember our conversation yesterday, about meisters? Do you remember what you said?" Anya paused, as if waiting for an answer, but continued when there was none. "You said that you should cherish and respect your weapon. But from the sound of that story, you didn't respect Soul at all."

Maka flinched, and Tsugumi had finally had enough. "Anya! Stop it! You don't know what—" Anya clapped her hand over Tsugumi's mouth, silencing her. Maka raised her dazed green eyes, burning with an anger that sent chills down Tsugumi's spine. She tried to speak again, but Maka spoke over her muffled words.

"What?" Maka asked, her voice dangerously low.

Satisfaction sparked in Anya's eyes. "You heard me. Weapons take oaths, too. I asked Tsugumi about it. They are charged with protecting their meisters with their lives. Some weapons don't abide by this oath, but it seems you were lucky enough to have one that does. And it seems that during this fight, you didn't let Soul do what he was supposed to. He had to do it another way." Something in Maka's expression changed, and Anya kept on. "You didn't want him to protect you. I understand that, because it meant his getting hurt. But that scar on his chest is still _your fault_."

Shock ripped through Tsugumi at Anya's cruelty. _'Why is she saying this?"_ Anya could be blunt, but this was a side of her Tsugumi had never witnessed. Tears were threatening to spill from both meister's eyes, and her words were cold as ice. Maka didn't deserve to hear any of this—

Maka. Tsugumi had completely forgotten. The girl was listening completely to every word Anya said, struggling against their harshness. Soul's words surfaced in her mind: _"Maka doesn't need my kindness right now."_ She was no longer dazed and mumbling, but angry and awake. And that was exactly what they needed. But first, Anya had to finish. Tsugumi tried to accept that Anya's cruel speech was helping Maka, but the look in her eyes was heartbreaking. She was screaming and putting her hands over her ears, but Anya's voice raised over her yells.

"If you had done something instead of fearing for him, maybe he wouldn't have been so badly hurt. You might've won—"

"I could have lost him!" Maka screamed back, and Tsugumi absentmindedly wondered why the ringing blades had stopped. "You weren't there!" She had quieted down, her voice no longer echoing off the marble. "He was bleeding, and then the door wouldn't open, and…" She trailed off, and Anya, took a deep breath.

Her voice softened for the first time since her torrent of words began. "Maka, he protected you, and he doesn't blame you. But that scar is still your fault. And if you don't go and help him right now, the next one will be on you as well."

Maka flicked her eyes up, meeting Anya's glassy ones. After a shaky intake of breath, Maka pulled herself to her feet. Her small hands gripped the jacket that belonged to her weapon, and once again Tsugumi was in awe of her strength. She nodded to Anya, jutting her chin out sharply. "Okay, let's do this." Tsugumi willed her body to change, falling into Anya's hand easily. Both meisters spun out from behind the pillar, only to stop in their tracks.

"Well, well, well. It looks like we finally get to see your pretty friends, Death Scythe. And what pretty things they are, too." The tall man laughed, his large torso shaking. His left arm was outstretched, the whip grasped tightly in his hand. And at the end of the whip was Soul, the coils digging in to his throat.


	12. Chapter 12

"Soul!" Maka screamed, thrusting her hand out to her weapon. His eyes popped open, focusing on his meister. He smiled weakly.

"Oh, good. You're—ah!" The blue glow wrapping around him dimmed as the leader's hand jerked back, tightening the coils of the whip. His hand flew up to grab to cord, and Tsugumi noticed how beat up he looked. He was cut in multiple places, but nothing seemed too serious. However, the amount of blood he had lost seemed to be affecting him.

Maka appeared to realize this as well, and Tsugumi changed back just in time to grab her arm, preventing her from running to Soul. She didn't trust what would happen if Maka tried. As if sensing the younger meister's intentions, the man yanked his arm back, pulling Soul across the floor to his feet. Soul spat on his shoe, showing his teeth in a smile. "This is so not cool," he murmured. Cringing in disgust, the meister focused on Maka. His lips split in a smile at her distress, and he knelt next to Soul. He grabbed a fistful of snowy hair and yanked upward, Soul's stoic expression never faltering.

"None of that transformation, now. I have to say, Death Scythe. You did pretty well for yourself without that meister of yours." Tsugumi had never felt so helpless as she watched Soul. The man's grip had to hurt, and he was losing blood. Small objects littered the ground around him, curved and thick with sharp points on the ends. _'What are those?'_ Tsugumi wondered. The man continued his taunting. "I suppose I should've expected as much from your title, and I doubt you could've cut all of Haley's barbs off while being slung around like a broadsword."

Soul grinned wickedly, and Tsugumi took a step forward to pick up one of the curved objects. It was stained red, and the point pricked her finger. _'All of them?'_ She felt the crushing weight of her lack of skill once again at the sight of the hundreds of barbs. Soul laughed. "Actually, it probably would've happened faster and a lot less bloodily if I had had her."

The man's smile fell away, and he threw Soul to the ground. His grunt of pain made his captor smile. "Boy, I'm not a patient man, and I ain't goodnatured either." His face grew cruel, making Tsugumi cold.

But Soul still smiled up at him, blood dripping from his hairline. "It doesn't sound like you're all that articulate either." His cool red gaze flicked over to Tsugumi while the big oaf was processing the insult. "A halberd is part spear, right?" Tsugumi nodded hesitantly, confused by his question. He nodded approvingly. His red gaze slid to Maka and paused, before fixating on Anya. "Good. I need you to—"

A meaty fist struck him across the face, a low growl echoing throughout the church. "Don't insult me, Death Scythe. It won't end well for a certain someone." It could've been Tsugumi's imagination, but she thought she saw Soul stiffen for a fraction of a second. But the spell came and went too quick for her to be sure. "Honestly, I wasn't sure you would understand such a big word. I'm impressed." He choked as the whip tightened, his hand flying up to grab the tendrils wrapped around his throat.

A blur of motion passed through Tsugumi's peripheral vision. Maka was practically flying toward Soul, her feet moving so fast Tsugumi could barely keep up. She jumped up and spun her foot around, but the man caught it easily. He held on, throwing Maka off balance and dangling her upside down. She struggled, but it didn't seem to help.

"Tsugumi," Anya muttered urgently. In a flash of blue, Tsugumi was being held out in front of Anya, spear point aimed directly for the man. Anya's voice was cold as she spoke. "You only get one chance. Do you understand?" The man looked confused, his small eyes clouded. Maka continued to struggle, but it didn't seem to hinder the large man in the slightest. "What?" he rumbled.

Soul's laugh rang out. "She wasn't talking to you." At his nod, Anya pivoted and threw Tsugumi up at the ceiling.


	13. Chapter 13

For the entire two seconds towards the church's painted ceiling, Tsugumi believed Anya had truly lost her mind. Why wasn't she hurtling toward the man who had Maka by the ankle and Soul around the throat? She was beyond confused.

Until her blade sunk into something that felt suspiciously like a leg.

The scream that followed her arrival scared her so bad she almost lost her weapon form. It was definitely a man's, but the clatter that followed surprised her. When she turned toward the noise, Tsugumi could make out something that looked like the barrel of a gun, and had she been human she would've flinched. _'Why is there a gun? And who is the guy I just impaled? What is he even doing here?'_ Tsugumi desperately moved the pieces of the puzzle around, but she couldn't come up with anything.

She judged the distance and tipped down from the rafter she had landed on, angling herself so she landed in Anya's hand. Maka seemed to be thinking the same way as Tsugumi, her confused shouts mirroring Tsugumi's feelings. Anya didn't seem to be in an explanatory mood, which wasn't helpful. Their enemy didn't seem to like what had happened, which was good, and Soul…

A fierce blue glow outlined Soul's figure, burning so brightly it hurt to look at. His eyes were hidden by his bangs, but the smile on his face both lifted Tsugumi's spirits and chilled her to the bone. The whip around his neck glowed as well, and a badly cut Haley appeared with her bloody hand around Soul's neck. She jerked it back as if burnt and ran, disappearing through a back door. Now free, Soul stood up and turned toward the man who had Maka. "Thanks, girls. Now we can get some work done."

The scythe spun through the air, landing in Maka's outstretched hands. She swung Soul at the hand around her ankle, but it opened and dropped her. Seeing Maka land on her feet, Tsugumi focused on her meister. "Anya, what just happened?"

Anya's giggle only fueled her curiosity. "You didn't notice?" Tsugumi didn't answer, and Anya sobered. "That guy was up there when we came in. I'm guessing he was a sniper. Big Man over there didn't want to fight Maka and Soul, so he had that gun trained on Maka. I suppose he thought Soul couldn't do anything without Maka." She laughed again, and this time Tsugumi joined her. _'Big mistake on his part.'_ Tsugumi thought, strangely proud.

"But wait, why is Soul only now transforming? He and Maka could've taken out that guy way faster than we did." Tsugumi asked, the pieces still not showing her the picture.

Anya shifted her into her other hand and shook her head. "Maka was too out of it to notice, so he didn't have a meister. But as for why he hasn't transformed, I don't know."

Now Tsugumi knew. He wasn't going to risk Maka's getting hurt. He wasn't going to endanger his meister. But looking at the pair now, the only one in danger was their opponent. Soul's blade glinted from the stained moonlight filtering in through the windows, slicing at any part close to its edge. The man looked like he was ready to pee himself, but Maka wasn't being merciful. Tsugumi took a minute to study her as she fought. Her hair fanned around her as she spun around, swinging Soul with a clean precision. Tsugumi remembered her first day at the DWMA, when Maka and Soul and come in to show them their fighting style. Just like they had back then, the EAT pair seemed to be dancing to a music only they could hear. And just like then, Tsugumi felt an envious awe at their skill.

Anya suddenly ran forward, darting in front of Maka to begin jabbing Tsugumi at their opponent. And while this maneuver took Tsugumi by surprise, Maka took it in stride. With a quick apology, she leapt on top of Tsugumi's shaft. Her measured steps were effortless as she crept up to the man, whom they had backed against a pillar. He was tripping over his words as Tsugumi's spear tip dug into his Adam's apple. Maka crouched menacingly atop Tsugumi's axe blade, Soul pointed toward the ground. "Well, its been fun. Let's do it again some time, okay?"

As she arced Soul upward, the man's scream pierced the early dawn's silence.


	14. Epilogue

They pulled into the DWMA's courtyard the next day just as the sun began to set. Soul went put his old scooter in the garage, claiming Maka abused it. Maka had gone to report to Lord Death about the mission and everyone's performance. Which left the NOT girls free to go home.

"That was one crazy trip." Anya murmured, seemingly lost in thought. Tsugumi nodded silently. After they had caught all the other Kishin in the pack, they had gone back to the cabin. Soul had been cut up pretty bad, and the dark purple stains around his neck proved yet again his dedication to his meister. They had all been gone by the next morning, once again making Tsugumi curious about the black blood, but she left it be for another time. The ride home flew by, and both girls felt sleepy from the mission's events.

"Hey, wait!" A shout startled both weapon and meister. Tsugumi turn to see Soul walking up to them, hands in his pockets and looking like he didn't care whether they stopped or not. Maka was perched on his shoulders, waving crazily. When they reached the girls, Soul didn't move to let Maka off his shoulders, and his meister didn't appear to care. She wound her fingers through his snowy locks while she spoke. "Sorry, I had to go talk to Kid—Lord Death." She smacked her weapon when he laughed, smiling proudly when he grunted in pain. " _Anyways_ , I forgot to ask: Did you guys learn anything?"

Tsugumi nodded, catching Anya do the same. She trained her eyes on Soul, who held her gaze with a false disinterest. He nodded almost imperceptibly, and looked away. He turned around and walked away, Maka protesting loudly. "Hey! I wasn't done yet!" Maka tipped back, giving Tsugumi a heart attack. She dangled along Soul's back like a child, cupping her hands around her mouth. Her words were drowned out by Soul's "They don't care!", and Tsugumi laughed. Their bickering didn't fade until her and Anya turned back toward the dorms.

 _'Thank you, Soul.'_


End file.
